Guild Wars: PvE or PvP, which is it?

Forgive my asking, but I was under the assumption (my mistake) that GW was basically a pve game with a pvp aspect within the game.
You start in a tutorial area to learn techniques and experience play (Pre Searing) then furthur the adventure into the whole world area (Post Searing). I have tried to play in post but found it to be essentially only a primer for the almighty pvp. I am desperately trying to give the game a fair shake. There are things I could rant, complain, and b@#$h about for days, even weeks, but I am just trying to get a grasp of which game we are playing. If this game is just about the PvP arena fights, sorry I don't need it. Counterstrike, Unreal, ect... already have that and I choose not to play. (Proving my dial-up is slower and laggy isn't that hard to accomplish.)
I bought the game out of a sense of adventure and losing myself to a world of fantasy and graphic illusion. Again, I thought the game was about PvE. Not a tutorial for PvP
I have nothing against PvP. Great way to relieve stress fragging others, I'm all for that. I played (and still play) Diablo 2 LOD and love the story and quest etc..., but the PvP aspect is just a part of that game not the major focus. In Guild Wars, it seems the only focus is to get to the PvP arena. Each quest and mission pushing you further toward the supposed goal of PvP.
Take it or leave it my question remains; Is Guild Wars primarily PvE or PvP? If it is PvP, don't mislead the buyer just state it is a PvP on the box and in the promotional stuff. If it is PvE then try to develop a litte leeway for users not to be plowed into the PvP aspect. I can't explore and adventure along the way if I have to do certian exact (PvP leading) quest and missions to further the game. I hope the developers address this issue somewhere along the way in patches and expansions. I cannot see a future for the game if PvP is all there is to it.

Its both, you are NOT REQUIRED to do either you can PICK one or the other or do both.
I have highlighted some of the words because soon there will be several people responding that to be good or competetive in PvP you MUST do the PvE, so to be clear I am NOT picking side just stating the game is what you make it and it is set to do both.

Diablo2 was a unbalanced "pK" game. The story line sucked, and all you had to do was buy stuff off ebay and get "godly OMFGPWNEDz0RJOOO" items, and you win. it was full of people who only pvp and steal gold. it was a total waste of time.

The game is actually pretty well balanced betwen the two sides. PvP players view the PvE content, which by the way is probably 90% or better of the total, as nothing more than a trainer/filler/annoyance to PvP.

On the otherhand PvE players find the RP side of things rather immersive and feel like PvP is a side game to what THEY prefer doing. THe game missions are constructed fairly linearly, but are for the most part bypassable if you don't want to do them. There are a few that you HAVE to do to progress, but not many. The entire range of EA's are available for playing in with a lot of room for good old fashion exploration.

Unless there is a drastic change, the expansions and add-on areas will primarily be RP in nature, with new bosses and things. Other than the new bosses in those areas, they are not something that PvP folks will likely need to play unless they have quests for some of the skill acquisition that those folks see as a desperate need.

All in all though the game is set to work well for all players, but you will find that there are some folks in either camp that will never be happy with the game unless ANet ditches their entire development plan and caters strictly to those folks that complain the most.

It's what ever you want it to be. I tried a PvP character for a couple of fights, didn't like it, stuck with my PvE characters. As has been said, nobody forces you to do either.

It's PvE primarily as far as I'm concerned. The arena's cross over but are by no means the only goal. If you've ever played EQ they had a game called gems to while away the time. PvP is like that, some people play that all the time is all.

Underworld, Fissure, heck even the desert is some great PvE.

It was very tough to find groups and get the feel like a PvE as far as community goes, but it comes more and more. For me it was level 13 that was the turning point.

Why do you feel the PvE stuff is pushing you towards PvP? It's simply group play using the same dynamics as PvP, while not really being much like PvP (npc intelligence / improvisation for example)

and unless you got a different box and go to a different guildwars website than I do then it should have been fairly easy to discern that PvP is a large element of the game as a whole.

What you have is a game where you PvE until you peak at which point you continue to PvE for the fun / story / exploration whhatever or raise the stakes and prove your worth against real people for fame and glory .

in their words from the Game FAQ:

What kind of game is Guild Wars?

Guild Wars is a global online roleplaying game. Players can engage in cooperative group combat, in single player adventures, or in large head-to-head guild battles. Guild Wars is a mission-based game set in a stunning 3D fantasy world that offers excellent support for guilds. Because the team that is developing Guild Wars has had experience creating successful online game series such as Warcraft, StarCraft and Diablo, the members are familiar with the complex issues surrounding online games, and are creating a game that is both easy to learn and compelling to play long term, and yet does not require players to spend hundreds of hours slogging through the preparation just to get to the fun bits.

Is Guild Wars an MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game)?
Guild Wars has some similarities to existing MMORPGs, but it also has some key differences. Like existing MMOs, Guild Wars is played entirely online in a secure hosted environment. Thousands of players inhabit the same virtual world. Players can meet new friends in gathering places like towns and outposts where they form parties and go questing with them. Unlike many MMOs, when players form a party and embark upon a quest in Guild Wars, they get their own private copy of the area where the quest takes place. This design eliminates some of the frustrating gameplay elements commonly associated with MMOs, such as spawn camping, kill stealing, and lines to complete a quest.
Guild Wars takes place in a large virtual world made up of many different zones, and players can walk from one end of the world to the other. In Guild Wars much of the tedium of traveling through the world has been eliminated. Players can instantly return to any safe area (town or outpost) that they have previously visited just by clicking on it in the world overview map.

Rather than labeling Guild Wars an MMORPG, we prefer to call it a CORPG (Competitive Online Role-Playing Game). Guild Wars was designed from the ground up to create the best possible competitive role-playing experience. Success in Guild Wars is always the result of player skill, not time spent playing or the size of one's guild. As characters progress, they acquire a diverse set of skills and items, enabling them to use new strategies in combat. Players can do battle in open arenas or compete in guild-vs-guild warfare or the international tournament. Engaging in combat is always the player's choice, however; there is no player-killing in cooperative areas of the world.

Finally, unlike existing MMOs, all characters in Guild Wars inhabit the same virtual world -- they are not divided onto different servers or shards -- so players can always team up with or compete against any other player in the world.

Can my character be killed by other players?

While Guild Wars has player vs. player combat, you are in control. You can choose to join in competitive missions and receive acclaim for winning against other gamers, or you can reap the rewards of solo adventures or cooperative team missions with an entirely different set of challenges.
Will the game have guild support? Will there be ladders and tournaments?

Guild Wars, as evidenced by its name, will have broad support for game guilds, including integrated support for worldwide tournaments and ladders, the ability for a guild to own and operate a guildhall, private guild forums, and more. You can find the current Guild Wars Ladder on this link.
Do you have to be in a guild to play Guild Wars?

Membership in a guild is not required to play Guild Wars. Although there are many positive aspects to belonging to a guild, players will have access to a wide variety of solo adventuring possibilities as well as team cooperative and competitive missions that will ensure you of many of those gaming sessions that run into the wee hours, no matter your playing style. Missions will come in all sizes and difficulties and can be joined individually, as part of a one-time team or as a member of a full-fledged guild.

yeah... a lot of people like to say it's one or the other but (to echo what most of the replies have been) it's both. I read so much about people who do nothing but PvP yet so far I've logged almost twice the average hours I spend on any one adventure game and I've barely scratched the surface.

The game is totally what you make it.

stick to pve for now until they fix all the balance issues with pvp

I've spent over 40 hours playing nothing but PvE, and I'm not even 40% through the game. If you want to PvE, there is plenty of content to keep you satisfied (and more on the way!).

...and there's PvP available when you want a break from PvE.

What's not to like?

This is speculation, and very likely to incorrect. Arena.net hasn't announced what they are going to add, but they have made it clear that there will be additions for PvP, though they (supposedly) won't be required to be competitive.

This sounds like you believe there are a large number of balance issues, care to elaborate?

Chalt2 "you are NOT REQUIRED to do either"
True, but if I want to get to Yak's Bend area I must go through excessive mobs repeatedly (trying not to die repeatedly and have the dreaded 60%DP) or start all over. Quest and mission repeatedly trying not to die or start over. Repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat. Just to get to the next area.
1/2_ Extreme "Diablo2 was a unbalanced "pK" game" All opinions are valid, but not the issue I am asking about. I was using the example as a point of reference only, not stating a value. The game was initially designed for the RPG player. Abuse of the pk and other issues are not my reference.

Corwin Andros "The game is actually pretty well balanced betwen the two sides."
Role Playing PvE is either primary or secondary it cannot be both at the same time. D2LOD was in essence RPG PvE first and foremost PvP was an option you could choose. Partying was an option, but not a necessity to successfully explore the game. GW has areas, quest, missions (North Of The Wall etc...) where your choice to go it alone is just absolutly not possible. Fight, die, repeat. There is a dominating theme in GW and I get spammed excessively from the "Hall Of Heros" about that centralized primary theme.

Shamblemonkee "Why do you feel the PvE stuff is pushing you towards PvP?"
To get from area to area I must trudge forward in an endless maze of invisible walls toward the next quest point and mission. Oh, I could stay in Ascalon repeatedly killing monsters to no avail (no xp etc..), but in order to truly explore and advance I must complete the missions and quest (no option) absolutely must not die or start over with a penalty that makes success of the quest even harder to a point of being tedious. No xp pushes you through. You want to go to new areas you must complete missions and quest.
You want to advance your character to the next level, then you must complete the missions and quest. If I force your hand that is pushing.

"unless you got a different box"
collector's edition

"Guild Wars is a global online roleplaying game. Players can engage in cooperative group combat, in single player adventures, or in large head-to-head guild battles."
RPG? Spam from Hall Of Heros (PvP Arena) every 5 minutes.
Single player adventures? Uncompleteable missions and quest like North of the Wall

"While Guild Wars has player vs. player combat, you are in control. You can choose to join in competitive missions and receive acclaim for winning against other gamers, or you can reap the rewards of solo adventures or cooperative team missions with an entirely different set of challenges."
Solo adventures? Where can you solo other than pre You'll get killed by mobs of up to ten monsters trying to solo I know 60%DP says so. Monsters below a certian level, No XP. Mobs of 5 to 8 level 6 Charr will desimate your solo adventure level 8 character in about 20 seconds regardless of your character build and armor and weapon. You cannot heal as fast as you can die. Oops, your character died 15%dp now you die in 10 seconds, 30%dp die faster. Wanna start over? You cannoot level your character til you get past these mobs. Whoops you died again, 15%dp do keep trying. It is like a rigged carnival game Oh, that's right you've got to get help for this part. (solo?)

Sorry for the diatribe, but appearently your game and mine are different. Guild Wars Official Statement
"Guild Wars is a global online roleplaying game"
RPG first or PvP masked as a RPG? If RPG, why the PvP heavy content? If RPG, Why the excessive PVP spamming every 5 minutes? If RPG, why so much focus on Guild Of The Week and builds for PvP?
Walks like a PvP, Smells like a PvP, Looks like a PvP, Acts like a PvP, but clearly delinated as a RPG PvE. Hmm...??? Sorry, I am still looking for the solo mission stuff advertised, mabey it is hidden between those invisible walls?

Ok i think I made the mistake of thinking you were genuinely interested or cared - not that you just wanted to bash the game.

I have no idea what it is you're looking for or expected (I assume you had previous interest if you got the collectors box), but:

> I've yet to encounter a uncompletable mission (bully for me youmight say) andi fail to see how this relates to the point you're responding too - solo play (i.e just you) and your next point is about a quest where you need one other person, the only other time an extra person is actually been required is for the res signet - I'm now level 15 and haven't grouped other than with a friend (5 times) more than once.

> The death penalty is not harsh at all if you compare it to many other games of this sort, plus the enemies stay dead if you don't exit the map. the only time a death is a real pain is the missions

> You can be picky about the definition of solo if it makes you happy....

> You seem to havenot read the sentences after "Guild Wars is an online roleplaying game", so I'll include them again here "Players can engage in cooperative group combat, in single player adventures, or in large head-to-head guild battles. Guild Wars is a mission-based game set in a stunning 3D fantasy world that offers excellent support for guilds."

Valid points you do raise are invisible walls and monsters with no xp value always attacking you. I'd add not enough character customisation and slightly floaty movement - but that should go in a suggestions forum.

You seem to want an offline hero game in the vein of morrowind where you're the only guy in a vast world you can explore endlessly or something..... correct me if I'm wrong. I realise i probably come off as a GW fanboy but other than where I've said I agree I feel you're bitching because you want too, but that your idea of what the game was supposed to deliver is clearly not in line with the stated aims of the developers.

It's both, dude. You can choose the path of PvE and do missions, quests, and PvP. Or, if you're really impatient and not into RP aspect, you can just dive right into PvP without leveling up-- kind of like FPS games where you just join and play.

i think of it as PVE with a few sandboxes here and there for the PVP crowd and i get the rest of the playground

they have theirs and i have mine

we both win

Does it matter what others think it is? It will obviously vary person to person as per their preference in gaming style.

I for one choose PvE for the storyline and RP aspect of it, however I enjoy some PvP for nearly-mindless fighting fun when I do not care to roam around forever for enemies to hunt down and such.

The game is what you make of it, either you will find PvE to be your choice or PvP. Opinions of everyone else shouldn't really matter, then again mine don't count either using my own advice... hmmm... interesting to think about eh?

Are you literally trying to 'solo' the missions, or are you bringing henchpeople? That's what they're there for. You're still playing by yourself.

Guild Wars was designed as a competitive PVP MMORPG...and just happens to have a PVE experience which is far more immersive than any other MMORPG (although the plot and voiceacting leave a bit to be desired.)

Diablo 2, on the other hand, was purely a PVE game with what I call "PVP activated". Just like most other MMORPGs, it's balanced for PVE and PVP is a crappily-designed sideshow.

Really? I never noticed that in the game descriptions anywhere. In fact, it sounded as if it were a PvE game with a nice PvP content. If I did, I would not have bought it.

As far as a PvE experience, c'mon now. An RPG with a clvl cap of 20 is a joke. Practically no character development after lvl 20 is not what people look forward to when they play a game of this type. Once people get over their initial excitement and get to lvl 20 for one or 2 characters (at most) this game will be dead, with no drastic changes to char development. You'll see.
As far as PvP... heh, this ain't Counterstrike. Conterstrike in a fantasy world setting? Yeh, sure. That's surely going to work well on a long term basis, the pace is just as fast and furious.....



-A